Pendulum clock



March 14, 1950 T. K. RIGGEN PEND-ULUM CLOCK FiledApril 29, 1946 2 Sheets-Sheet l WITNESS I mam;-

INVENT'OR.

A ORNEY March 14, 1950 RIGGEN 2,500,433

PENDULUM CLOCK Filed April 29, 1946 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR.

WITNESS. $17k. W X? A ORNE Y Patented Mar. 14, 1950 BENDULUM CLOCK Theodore K. Riggen, Elmira, N. Y., assignor to Bendix Aviation Corporation, a corporation of Delaware Application April 29, 1946, Serial No. 665,698

(Cl. S29) 4 Claims. 1-

The present invention relates to a mechanical movement and more particularly to the embodi ment of such a mechanical movement in achronometric device.

In time measuring instruments employing a pendulum, it has been found conducive to accuracy to employ a pendulum having a long period of vibration, and to apply thereto the impulses necessary to overcome frictional losses, during that part of the swing when the pendulum bob is moving the fastest. On the other hand, the conventional type of pendulum having a period of vibration of a second or more is cumbersome, and subject to significant changes of length due to temperature variations; moreover,

the usual forms of escapement mechanism trans-j mit power to such pendulumchiefly' during the end portions of its swing when it is traveling comparatively slowly.

It is an object of the present invention to pro vide a novel mechanical movement involving pendulum motion having a long period of vibration in which the elements areof small physical dimensions.

It is another object to provide such a device in which the impulses for maintaining the'pendulum in motion are applied to the pendulum when it is moving substantially at its highest rate of speed.

It is another object to provide such a device in which the successive impulses to the pendulum are identical in character and amount of energy.

It is another object to provide such a device in which the energy of said impulses may be readily adjusted to exactly compensate the frictional losses in the mechanical movement.

It is another object to provide such a device in which the pendulum controlled entirely by gravity, without the use of springs ofany kind.

Further objects and advantages will be ap parent from the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawing in which:

Fig. 1 is a semi-diagrammatic illustration of a preferred embodiment of the invention as in:- corporated in a chronometric device;

Fig. 2 is a detail of the mechanical movement showing the pendulum at the limit of its swing away from vertical position;

Fig. 3 is a diagram showing the paths traversed by longitudinally spaced points on the pendulum member as it oscillates; and

Fig. 4 is an enlarged diagram plotting the motion of the top of the pendulum rod during vibra tion thereof.

In Fig. 1 of the drawing, there is illustrated a mounted on any suitable fixed base ii. A pendulum rod '5 having a bob 8 at its lower end is fixed as indicated at 9 to the center of the bar I perpendicularly thereto. The pendulum so constructed swings bodily in the manner indicated in Fig. 2, so that the bob 8 traverses a path which is but slightly curved as shown in Fig. 3 and accordingly the period of vibration is very long compared with the physical dimensions of the pendulum.

Thus, for example, the period of vibration of a pendulum has been found to be approximately one second when the bar I is two inches long, the links 2 are one and one-half inches long, the distance between the grooves in the blocks i and 5 is four inches, and the bob 8 is located'four inches below the bar i. Since the length of an ordinary simple pendulum having a period of vibration of one second is about nine and threequarters inches, the reduction in physical dimen sions accomplished by the present mechanical movement will be appreciated.

Another feature of this mechanical movement is that it may be so arranged that shortening the pendulum retards the velocity of swingin stead of accelerating the swing as in an ordinary pendulum. An examination of Fig. 3 shows why this is so. If the pendulum bob is located at the point A on the vertical bar 1 corresponding to the dimensions given above as an example, the curvature of its path is such that it is raised through a vertical distance X at the end of its swing, and the potential energy so stored up is available to accelerate the bob toward its midposition. If the bob is placed at the point B, the corresponding distance Y is appreciably less than X and this reduction is continued when the bob is raised further, as to points C and D at which latter point the motion of the bob approximates a straight line.

At points above D, the locus of a point on the bar i becomes upwardly convex, the convexity increasing until the upper end E of the bar 1 describes a narrow cusp or spire so that it moves substantially in a vertical direction while the pendulum is passing through the midportion of its swing. According to the present invention, advantage is taken of this fact to apply to the pendulum, when the bob is moving most rapidly, those impulses of energy necessary to overcome friction. As shown in Fig. l, the pendulum rod 1 is terminated at its upper end at the point mentioned where the motion is in accordance with the graph of the point E shown in Fig. 4. A small weightmember I i is positioned to be arranged adjacent to the upper end of the bar I and means are provided for controlling the weight so as to drop aim theen'd of the bar as the'bar passes through its mid-position. For this purpose, the weight is preferably formed as the magnetic core of a solenoid l2, energization of which raises the weight 6 l to a position where it is enaged by the pendulum rod 1 only at its uppermost position.

In order to actuate the Weight H, a battery is connected by a switch l4 through lead to a relay armature l8 carrying a contact ll. Contact ll normally engages a corresponding contact is which is connected by a lead IE to one terminal of the solenoid I2. The opposite terminal of the solenoid is connected by leads 2i, 2i. and 23 to the battery l3 tocomplete a circuit for energizing the solenoid. Means for contrcllii the relay contacts ll, 18 are provided compl .ng a lead 24 from the switch M to the weight member H, a lead 25 from the base block to relay coil 26, and lead 21 from the relay coil to the lead which is connected to the battery lead The parts of the mechanical movement are made of conductive material so that when the pendulum rod 71 touches the weight member ii, a circuit is completed through the electromagnet 26 which thereupon opens contacts H, H]. thus deenergizing the solenoid l2 and permitting the weight H to rest on the top of the pendulum bar '5 during its downward movement. The downward movement of the weight member ii is limited by a stop member which is adjustable in order to readily and accurately regulate the amount of energy imparted to the pendulum during each vibration thereof.

In order to utilize the mechanical movement as a chronometric device, a third contact 28 is provided on the relay which contact is engaged by the movable contact ll when the relay is en-- ergized. Contact 28 is connected by lead 29 with one terminal of a solenoid 31, the opposite terminal of which is connected by a lead 32 to the battery lead A plunger 33 actuated by the solenoid ll! has an extension 34 which engages a tooth of a ratchet wheel 35 whereby the ratchet wheel is stepped forward one tooth each time that the solenoid 3! is energized. Backward movement of the ratchet wheel 35 is prevented by a spring pawl and the ratchet wheel is suitably geared to a clock mechanism indicated generally at 35 so as to record the passage of time as measured by the vibration of the mechanical movement.

In operation, starting with the parts in the positions shown in Fig. 1, switch M is closed and the pendulum is displaced from its center position by the operator in order to initiate Vibration thereof. Since the pendulum rod 1 initially enweight M, the relay coil 26 is energized, v the circuit of solenoid I2 is opened at El, and the weight it follows the downward movement of the top of the rod I. When the downward movement of the weight I l is stopped by the abutment the electrical contact between the pendulum bar l and the weight member broken, thus breaking the circuit of relay coil 26, permitting contacts l, 18 to close. This completes the circuit through the solenoid l2, energiaation of which raises the weight II to its upper position.

When the pendulum is released by the operator and swings through its mid-position, the upper of the r d l rises until it touches the weight member ii, thus closing the circuit of relay coil Ell, energisation of which opens contacts ll, 18 and closes contacts ll, 22. The opening of contacts ii, it breaks the circuit of solenoid l2, thus allowing the weight to rest on the end of the pendulum rod 1 as it moves downward, imparting energy thereto. Closure of contacts ll, 28 closes the circuit of solenoid 3| causing the same to advance the ratchet wheel 35 one tooth. When the downward movement of the weight member ll is arrested by the abutment 30, the circuit of relay coil 26 is again broken and the operation is repeated.

It will thus be seen that precisely identical impulses are applied to the pendulum twice during each complete vibration thereof and such impulses occur at the instant that the pendulum bob is passing' through its mid-position and accordingly is moving at its highest rate of speed.

The abutment 30 is so adjusted as to cause the weight member II to supply just sufiicient energy to overcome frictional losses of the pendulum as the pendulum vibrates with the desired amplitude of swing.

Adjustment of the period of the pendulum may be accomplished by adjusting the bob vertically on the bar l, and/or by adjusting one of the blocks laterally as indicated in Figs. 1 and 2.

Although but one embodiment of the invention has been shown and described in detail, it will be understood that other embodiments are possible and that the mechanical movement disclosed is capable of other adaptations and uses, and the dimensions thereof may be altered to secure desired results without departing from the spirit of the invention as defined in the claims appended hereto.

What is claimed is:

1. In a chronometric device, a mechanical movement comprising a normally horizontal bar, a link hinged to each end of the bar on horizontal axes, a base to which said links are hinged in divergent relation, a rigid pendulum bar fixed medially to the horizontal bar, normal thereto. extending both upwardly and downwardly therefrom, a bob adjustably mounted on the downwardly extending portion of the pendulum bar, and means for periodically applying a downward pressure on the upwardly extending portion of the pendulum bar.

2. A chronometric device as set forth in claim 1 in which the bob is spaced sufliciently below the cross bar to cause the bob to move in a path which is lowest at the mid point of its swing.

3. A chronometric device as set forth in claim 1 in which the point of application of the downward pressure on the pendulum bar is spaced vertically above the cross bar and moves in a path which is highest at its mid point.

4. A chronometric device as set forth in claim 3 in which the means for applying the downward pressure to the pendulum bar includes means for synchronizing the application of the pressure to the swing of the pendulum so that the pressure is applied as the pendulum moves away from its middle position.

THEODORE K. RIGGEN.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,937,529 Poole Dec. 5, 1933 2,355,054 Carr Aug. 8, 1944 

